What is Property? An Inquiry into the Principle of Right and of Government

Proudhon

Language:

English

Status:

Complete work

Authorship:

Written by the author

WHAT IS PROPERTY? AN INQUIRY INTO THE PRINCIPLE OF RIGHT AND OF GOVERNMENT By P. J. Proudhon CONTENTS. P. J. PROUDHON: HIS LIFE AND HIS WORKS PREFACE FIRST MEMOIR CHAPTER I. METHOD PURSUED IN THIS WORK.--THE IDEA OF A REVOLUTION CHAPTER II. PROPERTY CONSIDERED AS A NATURAL RIGHT.--OCCUPATION AND CIVIL LAW AS EFFICIENT BASES OF PROPERTY.--DEFINITIONS % 1. Property as a Natural Right. % 2. Occupation as the Title to Property. % 3. Civil Law as the Foundation and Sanction of Property. CHAPTER III. LABOR AS THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE DOMAIN OF PROPERTY % 1. The Land cannot be appropriated. % 2. Universal Consent no Justification of Property. % 3. Prescription gives no Title to Property. % 4. Labor.--That Labor has no Inherent Power to appropriate Natural Wealth. % 5. That Labor leads to Equality of Property. % 6. That in Society all Wages are Equal. % 7. That Inequality of Powers is the Necessary Condition of Equality of Fortunes. % 8. That, from the stand-point of Justice, Labor destroys Property. CHAPTER IV. THAT PROPERTY IS IMPOSSIBLE DEMONSTRATION. AXIOM. Property is the Right of Increase claimed by the Proprietor over any thing which he has stamped as his own. FIRST PROPOSITION. Property is Impossible, because it demands Something for Nothing. CHAPTER IV. THAT PROPERTY IS IMPOSSIBLE DEMONSTRATION. AXIOM. Property is the Right of Increase claimed by the Proprietor over any thing which he has stamped as his own. FIRST PROPOSITION. Property is Impossible, because it demands Something for Nothing. SECOND PROPOSITION. Property is Impossible, because, wherever it exists, Production costs more than it is worth. THIRD PROPOSITION. Property is Impossible, because, with a given Capital, Production is proportional to Labor, not to Property. FOURTH PROPOSITION. Property is Imposs

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